Gavaskar, Harbhajan react to Pune boilover

Sunil Gavaskar, the man whose name jointly adorns the trophy that Australia and India are currently battling for, has reacted with shock and scorn to the boilover in Pune.

Gavaskar, who played 125 Tests, noted it was one of India's worst ever defeats and "nobody in their wildest dreams" would have expected what happened.

Disbelief was the common theme in Indian newspapers after the tourists claimed a shock 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.

Some pundits and past players pointed to the crumbling dustbowl. Harbhajan Singh, whose pre-series prediction was Australia would be thumped 4-0, quipped it "wasn't a pitch" and he'd reserve judgment on Steve O'Keefe until he bowled on a "good Test match wicket".

"Test cricket should last five days. You cannot play on such wickets where anyone runs in to bowl and takes wickets," he told the The Indian Express.

"I know how hard I had to work to earn every single wicket.

"When you prepare such a wicket, you are making conditions favourable for the opposition ... you don't need to flight the ball or anything. You just need to bowl fast and not give the batsmen room."